Water-sterilizing apparatus



"(No Model.)

A. V. M. SPRAGUE.

WATER STERILIZING APPARATUS.

No. 527,084. Patented 001;. 9, 1894.

'UNITED STATES PATENT rica,

AUSTIN V. 'M. SPRAGUE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

.WATER-STERILIZING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,084, dated October 9, 1894.

' Application filed March 14,1893. Renewed DecemberlB, 1893. Serial No. 493,582. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUSTIN V. M. SPRAGUE, a resident of Rochester, in the county of Men roe and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Sterilizing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing water and for supplying the same as required for use and it has for its object to secure perfect exclusion of germs from the water tanks; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the improved apparatus and Fig. 2 is a section of a combined air valve and filtef on an enlarged scale.

Numerals 1 denote two water tanks each of which is provided with a steam drum or radiator 2 having suitable inlet pipes 3 and exhaust pipes 4.

Water gages are denoted by 5 and a safety valve by 6 and an overflow pipe by 7.'

The tanks are charged with water near their top through a pipe 8 having branches supplied each with a cock'9. A branch discharge pipe is indicated by 10 and 11 denotes a cock therein. 12 is a cock in the tank charging pipe. The construction is suchthat when a tank is filled a portion of said charging pipe 8 can be emptied of water and kept empty to prevent pressure from the main or other cause passing a small portion of unsterilized water about a cock with the effect to introduce germs into the tank. In fillinga tank cocks 9 and cooks 12 are open andcock 11 closed. The tank being filled cocks 9 and 12 are closed and 11 opened whereupon the filling pipe between cocks 9 and 12 is emptied of water and all danger of fructifying the water in the tank from the inletpipe avoided. Draw off pipes are indicated by 13, and 14 are cocks V in the same. In the apparatus constructed as above set forth it is necessary to provide an air inlet valve. The valve proper is de- 5 noted by 16, its stem by 17 and a spring which tends to hold the valve to,its seat by 18.

When water is drawn from the tank the tendency to a vacuum in the same opens this valve and air is admitted to supply the place 5 5 of the water withdrawn. This operation is liable to introduce germs into the tank and to effectually preclude this injurious result an air filter 19 is provided above the air valve. This is, in the present'instance, made by continuing upwardly the valve casing to form the enlarged receptacle 19. In the wall of this is formed a shoulder 20 upon which rests a perforated disk 21 provided with a suitable handle 22. -The office of the diaphragm is to support the filtering material and keep it from obstructingthe' valve. A removable cover provided with an air inlet 23 is denoted by 24. Within the case 19 and above the diaphragm 21 is placed an air filtering substance, preferably sterilized cotton. I By this means germs are prevented from entering the tank with the air necessarily admitted when water is withdrawn and the store of water is maintained in its sterilized state.

. Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim is 1. In combination in a water sterilizing apparatus, a water inlet pipe and an outlet, said inlet pipe being connected with a pressure main and provided with two cocks, as 9 and 12, and anintermediate draw-off pipe wherebythe introduction'of germs by leakage is obviated, a heating device to kill germs, and an air filter to prevent the entrance of germs within the tank consisting of cotton or the like, substantially as set forth. 1 v

2. The combination of a water sterilizing apparatus with the air filter and valve consisting of a case adapted to be secured in a 0 tank having a valve near one end and a re-' ceptacle for filtering material at the other end and a perforation to admit air to pass through the filtering material to the valve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a water sterilizing apparatus with the air filter and valve consisting of a case adapted to be securedin a tank having a valve near one end and a re- In testimony whereof I have signed this ceptacle for filtering material at the other specification in the presence of two subscribend and a perforation to admit air .to pass ing witnesses.

through the filtering material to the valve AUSTIN V. M. SPRAGUE. 5 and a perforated diaphragm to prevent the Witnesses:

filtering material entering the valve, substan- F. D. BLACKISTONE,

tially as set forth. ARCH. M. OATLIN. 

